Papyrus

£12.99

Long before books were mass produced, those made of reeds from along the Nile were worth fighting and dying for. Journeying along the battlefields of Alexander the Great, beneath the eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, at Cleopatra’s palaces and the scene of Hypatia’s murder, Irene Vallejo chronicles the excitement of literary culture in the ancient world, and the heroic efforts that ensured this impressive tradition would continue. Weaved throughout are stories about the spies, scribes, illuminators, librarians, booksellers, authors, and statesmen whose rich and sometimes complicated engagement with the written word bears remarkable similarities to the world today: Aristophanes and the censorship of the humourists, Sappho and the empowerment of women’s voices, Seneca and the problem of a post-truth world.

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Description

The bestselling phenomenon – an enthralling 6,000-year journey through the history of books and reading

A FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST AND MAIL ON SUNDAY BOOK OF THE YEAR
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZE 2023

Outstanding, universal and unique’ NEW YORK TIMES
‘A literary phenomenon.’ TLS
‘Masterly.ECONOMIST
‘Mindboggling’ TELEGRAPH

Long before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Emperors and Pharaohs were so determined to possess them that they dispatched emissaries to the edges of the earth to bring them back.

In Papyrus, celebrated classicist Irene Vallejo traces the dramatic history of the book and the fight for its survival. This is the story of the book’s journey from oral tradition to scrolls to codices, and how that transition laid the very foundation of Western culture. And it is a story full of heroic adventures, bloodshed and megalomania – from the battlefields of Alexander the Great and the palaces of Cleopatra to the libraries of war-torn Sarajevo and Oxford.

An international bestseller, Papyrus brings the ancient world to life and celebrates the enduring power of the written word.

Additional information

Weight 0.32 kg
Dimensions 19.6 × 12.6 × 3.4 cm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Paperback

Pages

464

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

002.09 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K